Utah's conservation officers work to protect our wildlife heritage on behalf of ethical sportsmen and others who value wildlife. These dispatches represent a fraction of the ongoing efforts to protect your wildlife resources.

Posted December 8, 2015, 10:39 pm

Several deer poached in Sanpete County

This fawn is one of four deer shot and left to waste near Ephraim, next to the Black Hill Wildlife Management Area.

SANPETE COUNTY — There have been several mule deer poached in Sanpete County recently, and DWR conservation officers need your help bringing the poachers to justice.

On the night of Nov. 10, four mule deer does and fawns were illegally shot with a .22 caliber rifle in a farmer's field in Kane Valley near Ephraim. This field is also adjacent to the Black Hill Wildlife Management Area. This area is very critical for deer during the winter months.

The investigation of these deer carcasses yielded evidence that several of them were shot in the head, likely while the deer looked at the poachers' spotlight or headlights. All four deer were left in the field to rot and waste until they were located the next day by the farmer and property owner.

Also, during the week of Thanksgiving, two buck deer were illegally shot and left to waste by poachers in different areas of the county. The first buck, a 24.5-inch four point, was shot on the South Hollow Wildlife Management Area near Mayfield. This trophy buck was shot during the rut, a time when deer are most vulnerable to poachers, in an area where many deer are visible from the roads and ATV trails. This very buck was counted by the local conservation officer during a post-season deer classification the week before it was illegally shot and killed.

The second buck was also illegally shot and left to waste by a poacher. This smaller antlered buck was shot north of the town of Manti. It was shot through the stomach with a high-powered rifle. The deer then wandered into a farmer's field and died as a result of the gunshot wound.

All of these deer were illegally shot and left to waste during a time of year when they are struggling to survive the harsh winter months. Each of these deer were shot on or near wintering areas which are critical for big game during this time of year. These areas provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities for sportsmen and wildlife viewers alike; however, they also provide easy opportunities for those people who illegally rob the citizens of our state through poaching activities.

DWR officers need your help watching over these animals during critical winter months. Please report illegal or suspicious activities you see. If you have information about these, or other illegal wildlife cases, report them by calling the UTIP hotline at 1-800-662-DEER. Rewards for information that leads to the arrest of wildlife violators are available. DWR officers are very thankful for the valuable assistance they receive from the public.